Adjustable drafting stand



July 30, 1946. H L DE LlSLE 2,404,949

ADJUSTABLE DRAFTING STAND Filed Sept. 17, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JAW-(mll

/ Heol 1. P50516 DICE/9550 l nu L/,sw H Maemyf/rfcame July 30, 1946. H LDE LlsLE 2,404,949

ADJUSTABLE DRAFTING STAND Filed Sept. 17, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 fyi f@0" Patented July 30, 1946 ADJUSTABLE DRAFTIN G STAND Harold L. De Lisle,deceased, late of Sheboygan, Wis., by William H. Murphy, executor,Chicago, Ill.

Application September 17, 1942, Serial No. 458,634

Claims. l

This invention relates to adjustable drafting stands of the class inwhich the drawing board is adjustable both vertically and angularly and.more particularly, of the type wherein the dra-v ing board is maintainedin its adjusted inclined position by friction, and, in its adjustedvertical position, is balanced by a spring adapted to be adjusted toexert a controllable tension.

Among other objects, the present invention aims to provide an improvedand simplied construction of this type including a novel grippingmechanism for the inclination of the drawing board which may be releasedby a manual movement by the draftsman, and, similarly, novel tensionmeans for the vertical adjustment of the board which may be operated bya movement of the foot through a pedal device.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from thefollowing description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a drafting stand embodyingthe present invention, showing in full lines an inclined selectedposition of the drawing board, and, inbroken lines, a horizontalposition thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational View of the structure of Fig.1, parts being cut away for clearness of description; f

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial cross-section taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2, and also being a similar section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view on the scale of Fig. 3 of the left-handside of Fig. 2 but with parts in cross-section taken on the line 4 4 ofFig. 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial plan View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig.2;

Figure 6 is a similar View taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2;

Figure 7 is a partial vertical section on the scale of Fig. 5, taken onthe line 1 1 of Fig. 5;

Figure 8 is a. similar View taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6; and

Figure 9 is a detail section taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 2 somewhatenlarged.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construetlon shown in thedrawings, the numeral I9 indicates in general a base for the drawingboard indicated generally by the numeral l I. The base III may be in theform of a table or desk having a working top I2, front legs I3 and I4and rear legs I5. The table may be reinforced along its.

top ends by panels I6 and along its lower ends by cross-pieces I'I, thelatter being connected by a longitudinal runner I8, thus providing asuitable supporting structure for the board. The top I2 of the table maybe used as one working surface, accessible from one side of the tableI0, which is here referred to as the rear side, namely the side oppositethat at which the drawing board I I is pivoted as next described. Thedrawing board I I provides another working surface in the usual way.

In accordance with the present invention, the table ID at its -frontside carries for simultaneous vertical adjustment, as later moreparticularly explained, a pair of hollow posts I9 and l2|) having theirfree lower ends 2I slidingly passed through a casing 22 carried at thefront of the desk I il by and between the legs I3 and I4 thereof. rI'hiscasing is here shown of about the width of the legs and extendingvertically thereof about onethird of the height of the legs, butpreferably a little nearer their tops than their feet. Bolts 23 may sosecure the casing to the legs I3 and I 4. It will be noted that thetable top I2 terminates at the front of the table adjacent the posts I9and 2B short of the legs I3 and I4 so as to accommodate the posts in theplane of the legs.

Adjacent their tops, there is shown pivoted to each of the verticallymovable posts I9 and 20, as at 24, a yoke-like or inverted U-shaped`bracket 25, which as best shown in Fig. 4, may be formed or two angularsector-shape plates 25a and 25h having their flanges welded together asat 2G, one of the latter being extended as at 21 to be secured as byscrews 28 to the under face of the drawing board I I, the board andbrackets being reinforced adjacent thereto by the cross-cleats 29 alsoon the under face of the board.

With the drawing board so arranged for angular movement on the pivots24, frictiona1 or gripping means are provided for holding the board at aselected angular adjustment whereby the board may be disposed eithervertically or horizontally or at any intermediate angle therebetween.For this purpose, there is shown secured to each of the posts i9 and 2Q,between the plates 25a and `25h of each of the yoke-like brackets 25respectively, a segment plate 33 along the arcuate periphery of which issuitably secured an arch rail 3! having corrugations thereon, as by thescrew threads 32. A frictional mating member such as the half-nut 33rides on each of the arch rails 3l, the half-nut 3 3 beine, here shownsecured between the sides of an inverted channel bar 34. The threads inthe half-nut mesh with the screw threads 32 on the arch rails, thebracket 25 also straddling the channel bar 34.

Each of the channel bars 34 is secured to a nger 35 which is keyed to arock shaft 39 journalled at each end in the cleats 29, the ends oi therock shaft 35 which pass through the cleats and through the iingers 35being conveniently reduced, as best shown in Fig. fl, to preventlongitudinal movement of the rock shaft. Between each of the invertedchannel bars 34 and the flanges 26 of the brackets 25 is inserted acompression coil spring 31. which normally biases the channel bars 34into position to cause the gripping members 33 to frictionally engagethe arch rails 3I, and, in this instance, to intermesh the threads 33aon the half-nut 33 with the threads 32. One of the inverted channelmembers 34, in this instance the one at the left-hand end of the drawingboard is conveniently extended outwardly as at 38 to form a hand leverby which the common rock shaft 3S may be partially rotated against theaction of the springs 31 to release the gripping members 33 from thearch rails 3l and thus permit angular adjustment oi the drawing board,as suggested in Fig. l.

The end of the lever 38 may terminate in a wooden handle 39 forconvenience in grasping this lever and moving it toward the board toeffect the release just described. Upon letting go of the lever 38, thesprings 31 again urge the gripping members 33 into engagement with thearch rails 3l to retain the board in its selected angular position untilits position is again desired to be changed. Stop members 49 carried atthe top of the posts I9 and 20 limit backward rotative movement of thepivot brackets 25 on the posts to inhibit rotation of the drawing boardin this direction beyond the horizontal position as shown in brokenlines in Fig. l, and other stops 4I at the lower ends of the arch rails3| may limit the rotation of the drawing board in the oppositedirection, by also contacting with the pivot brackets 25.

Turning now to the means for eiecting the vertical adjustment of thedrawing board, and further in accordance with the present invention, thecasing 22 receives the posts I9 and 2U therethrough by means ofapertures 42 and 43 in the upper and lower walls respectively of thecasing, these apertures affording a sliding fit for the posts therein.Aflixed to each of the free ends 2| of the posts, as at 44, are flexiblemembers such as, in this instance, the cable 45 for the post I9 and thecable 46 for the post 2U. These cables run upwardly parallel with theposts and into the casing 22 where they are supported as next described.It will be noted that the openings 43 in the lower wall of the casingare enlarged sufciently to pass the cables therethrough with the posts,the cables being here shown upon the outside of the posts in contacttherewith.

The cable 45 for the post I9 in this instance passes over an idlerpulley 41 journalled within the casing on a pair of uprights -48 rivetedas at 48a to the inner faces of the casing, and thence to one end of arelatively heavy expansion coil spring 49, to which the cable 45 ishooked as at 59. The other end of this expansion coil spring is hookedas at I to a cord 52, the other end of which is wound on a spindle 53journalled within the casing 22 adjacent its end opposite the post I9.The cable 48 for the post 29 passes upwardly into the casing 22similarly to the cable 45 and over an idler pulley 54 journalled withinthe casing on uprights 55 riveted as at 55a to the inner faces of thecasing. The cable 45 thence travels longitudinally of the casing 22 topass over the same pulley 41 upon which the cable 45 is entrained, andthence the cable 46 travels from the pulley 41 with the cable 45, to thecoil spring 49 where it is also connected, as at 59, to the coil spring.The spindle 53 has its bearing in the casing walls advantageouslyreinforced by extensions h of the uprights 55.

Tension on the spring 49 may be varied by means of a crank 55 on theexterior of the casing which is keyed to the spindle 53, as at 51, andhas a handle 58. By rotating the crank 5B in a clockwise direction,looking at Fig. 2, the tension of the spring 49 may be increased and byturning the crank counter-clockwise, the tension may be decreased. Theface of the casing may have radially arranged holes 59 therein intowhich a nib Bil at the inner end of the handle 58 may be sprung to holdthe crank in selected adjusted positions against the pull of the spring49. The handle 58 may be constructed as shown in Fig. 9 in which the nib50 is shown integral with a spring plunger 69a threadedly connected asat 59h with the exterior shell 69o of the handle, A coil spring 99dsurrounds the plunger 60a and presses at one end against the flange 99eof the plunger 69a and at its other end `against the crimped endlf of aspring barrel 99g. By pulling outwardly on the exterior shell 90C of thehandle, the nib is retracted, the spring being further compressed, so asto be again urged toward the face of the casing upon release of thehandle.

Thus the entire weight of the posts I9 and 2D and with them the drawingboard II and its langular adjustment mechanism may be counterbalanced bythe spring 49. In practice, almost the entire weight is counterbalancedso that vertical adjustment of the drawing board may be effected byrelatively slight manual effort on the part of the draftsman, to raiseor lower the drawing board as desired. A brake mechanism, as nextdescribed, is provided to maintain the board in such selected verticaladjustment.

Following the present invention, the brake mechanism just referred tocomprises, as here shown, a pair of jaws 6I and G2 which, by theirsomewhat wedge-shape mouths IDI), partially receiving the posts i9 and20 respectively, are arranged to jam. the posts between themselves andthe opposite margins of the casing apertures 42 and 43 and thus tofrictionally clamp the posts against vertical movement therein. The jaws6I and 52 are shown carried integrally at the upper ends of bifurcatedarms 93 and 54 respectively. The arm 93 is conveniently pivoted on thepivot 55 of the idler pulley 41 and the arm 64 is pivoted similarly onthe pivot of the idler pulley 54. Loosely connected to the jaw El, as bya somewhat ball and socket connection, is a short cylindrical hollowbar` 51, a nib Gla on the jaw projecting into the interior of the bar,and connected to the jaw 62 is a similar hollow bar 68 which has arelatively long extensible section 59. A nib 62a on the jaw 62 projectsloosely into the interior of the bar 68. These bars may be convenientlyin the form of pipes or tubing. The bar sections 53 and 69 are left andright-hand threaded as at 98a and 69a respectively lwhere they areconnected by a threaded coupling 13 by which the combined length of thebar sections 68 and 59 may be shortened or lengthened.

Adjacent the left-hand end of the casing 22, in this instance, theuprights 48 are extended as at 1I to provide a bearing as at 12 for apintle 13 extending across the casing. Upon the pintle 'I3 is pivotedcentrally a pair of parallel brake links 14 and 14a. The links 14 and14a are exf tended .in :opposite .i-.directions :from their pivot 11.3.Theotherwisefree ends .of the bars .61 :and .69 are pivotedlas 'at .l5.and :1 6 respectively .to `the adjacent .ends .of the .brake rlinks 1Aand l14d. The link 'I4 iis ,further extended -in `both Idirec.- tions ofythe pivot v'13, in one 4direction .as at 'H lto `have hooked thereto asat -18 va wire l y.which has its other end hooked as at 80 to an expan-:sion -coilrspringanchored as vat 82 to a .clip 83, Weldedfas `at `84fto -the lower wall .of the casing, The 1extremity of fthe extension 'L1of .theilink M may be offset outwardlyfas at i85 to :be fclear `of :thebar 69. The .otherend `86of the .link L4 has articulated therewith asv:at ,8.7! a -wire rod 8B which .extends :downwardly `throueha slot .89in ,the'lower wall of:the.oafsingto .be articulated as at .90 mithra.-foot lever or pedal 9| gplvoted as at 92 `on "an inverted Ueshapebracket 93 suitably fsecured .tothe Aunder face of the .desk ,runnerv|23.

Since in the .normal gposition '.-of vthe bars (Sl and69,.a lineconnecting .the pivots T5 -and 'f6 of .the bars .61 and 69 yon .the.links V'M -'lila ris subzstantially .aligned with atheaxesfof .thesebars, .the .bars vare .at substantially their maximum dista-nce apartandthe jaws 6l .and .62 are `pressed outwardly toclamp the posts @I9yand .20 -respectively .against vertical movement. When, now, the .pedal:9| depressed, the rod 88 Ais reciprocated rdownlwardlyand the brakelinks .T4-14a Iare .frotated counter-clockwiseontheir pivot lf2 against:the force .of .the fexpansion spring ill. Rotation yof the fbrake links.draws :the ends of the .bars 51 .and 69 towardeach other or at leasttoward .a .-verticalline passingsthroughthe pivot l2, thus `reduoingtheoverallflength of the -barsrBiL-B-ES ,anjdrelaxing the pressure of thejaws 6I and `62 on the posts I9 and 20 respectively. This movement needbe -only very slight and the --articulated connections provided by the-nibs 64a .and '62a I(somewhat .in the nature -of universal joints).with :the bars .accommodate -this movement ol :the brakelinks.'Thereimay .beat the l same time .a slight inward movement toward -each:other of :the arms 93 and 64 on theirpivots :and 6 Yduring 'theicontractual movement :of the bars dust .-described. lThus, lthe -posts:I'S "and 2i! .are released for 'vertical Imovement :andare Arenderedsubjcctito .theipullof thespring 4.9, and counter- -balanced thereby, sothat :the :drawing `'board may be either depressed or elevated by alightpressure iolD ithe hand. Thereupon the pedal s! may :be .released aandthe "drawing board .again secured at its desired elevation. Theextension 1| carries a brake stop lug 'Ha Iwhich limits clockwiserotation of the links 'i4--14a under the influence of the expansionspring 8l to a point where a line connecting the pivots I5 and 'I6 issubstantially coincident with the axis of thebars (il-69. The stop lug'Ha acts by engagement With the extension 86 of the link 14.

Intermediate the casing 22, the bar 69 may carry a pair of woodenhangers 94 and 95 somewhat loosely thereon. The hanger 94 at its lowerend has a pair of vertically spaced apart screws 96 between which andbetween the open sides of the hanger pass the cables and 46, thusproviding a guide for these cables. Similarly, the hanger 95 has a pairof vertically spaced apart screws 91 between which and between the opensides of this hanger slidingly passes the cord 52 to guide this cord inits movement. The hangers 94 and 95 also assist in maintaining thespring 49 in transverse position in the casing but are adapted to slideon the bar 69 to accommodate longitudinal expansion or contraction ofthe spring, ,the spring 4.9 being thus what .is com monlylknownasoating.

It is `to .be .understood that the invention isnot intended .to .belimited to .details -of construction here .shown `for `illustrativepurposes. 'Other .modications will ysuggest vthemselves to :thoseskilled inthe art and having y,the ,benefit of ,the vpresentdisclosure.Furthermore, it is notintend- `ed that it be .understood that.allffeatures `of .the present disclosure must .be used .conjointly,:since 'it will lbe apparent to workers in the .art .that variouscombinations .or l.sub-combinations may at .times he advantageouslyemployed.

The invention having been described, .what is `claimed is.:

l. In a drafting standjincluding ,a pair .of ver- ;tically movablepests, the combination including, a Acasing having spaced apertures,said posts pass- A.ing .through `the apertures andslidable with respectvto ,the casing, a ,pair of brake members 'hinged in .the .casing and,adapted ,to rctionally .engage the .posts .to clamp :them .againstmovement, a pair .of .aligned movable .bars supported within `the casing.by Asaid 'brakemembers .respec- .-tively, a link intermediallypivotedin the casing Iand articulated ait Aeach end with lsaid 'bars`respectively, a spring anchored in said casing, means connecting ,thespring and link, said spring means urging ,thelink in .a direction `topress the Abars .apart whereby to urge the ybrake Vmembers Sintofrictional engagement with said ,postsand a manually `operable leversecured tosaidllink .in said casing and adapted `to rotate thelinkin,the .opposite direction ,against the force of said springtofreleaselthebrakemembers.

2. In 'a ydrafting-.stand of the .type .comprising a'base .and apar'ofvertically reciprocable spaced .apart `upright .members .adjustably.supporting a .drawing board on .the base, the combination ,including,.a ycasing .having `spaced apertures ,in which .said .upright members.are yslidably .arranged, a vpair .of .brake vmembers hinged .in the,casing andadaptedto frictionally engage the .up .right members yandpress ,them against the :sides of -the .casing rapertures to v1clampthem against movement, a pair .of .aligned Amovable vbars engaging said`brake .members respectively, a :link

intermedially pivoted -in the .casing and articulated at each end withsaid bars respectively, spring lmeans `connected to 'the link, :saidspring -means urging thelink in `.a rotative direction to urge the `barswhereby ,to -urge the brake members into-clamping engagement with-said.upright members, and a manually operable lever secured to said link insaid casing and adapted to rotate the link in the opposite directionagainst the force of said spring to release the brake members.

3. In a drafting stand of the type including a base and a pair ofupright spaced apart members vertically reciprocable relative to thebase, the combination including, a casing having spaced apertures inwhich said members are slidably arranged, friction brake means in andcooperating with said casing to hold the members in vertically adjustedpositions relative to said casing, said brake means including a pair ofmovable friction pieces located between the members and engageable withthe members, and means for ,simultaneously and selectively drawing thefriction pieces together to effect disengagement thereof from themembers and moving them apart to eifect engagement thereof with themembers.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein the combined length of the bars isadjustable.

'tically reciprocable on the base, and a drawing board supported by saidmembers, the. combination including, a casing mounted on the base and"having a pair of spaced apart apertures movably receiving the uprightmembers, and friction brake mechanism located within said casing forholding said upright members in adjusted vertical positions, said brakemechanism including a pair of movable friction pieces pivotally mountedin said casing, between the members and engageable with the members, andmechanism including means operable from the exterior of the casing forselectivelydrawing the friction pieces together to effect disengagementthereof from the upright members and moving them apart to effectengagement thereof with the members.

` 7. In a drafting stand, a base structure, a pair of board supportingmembers slidably supported in horizontally spaced` relationship forvertically reciprocable movement on and relative to said base'structure, a drawing board mounted on said board supporting members atthe upper ends thereof, means including a spring connected to said basestructure and both of said board supporting members for urging saidboard supporting members and said drawing board upwardly, a'pair ofbrake members each movably secured to said base structure adjacent oneof said board supporting members for movement toward each other and awayfrom the respective board supporting members and for movement away fromeach other toward the respective board supporting members, said 'brakemembers being frictionally engageable with said board supporting memberswhen moved away from each other and disengageable from said boardsupporting members when'moved toward each other, and toggle meansmounted on the base structure and interconnecting said brake members formoving the latter toward each other to disengage the same from saidboard supporting members and for moving said brake members away fromeach other into frictional engagement with said board supportingmembers. Y 8. I n a drafting stand as set forth in claim 7 a casingcarried by said base structure, having spaced apertures in which saidboard supporting members are slidably arranged and housing said members,said spring and the toggle means for the brake members, said apertureshaving sides cooperating with said brake members when ,the latter aremoved away from each other into frictional engagement with said boardsupporting members for holding the board supporting members and thedrawing board in vertically adjusted position.

9. In a drafting stand, a base, a casing mounted on said base and havinghorizontally spaced apertures therein, a pair of board supportingmembers slidably arranged in spaced upright positions for verticallyreciprocable movement in said apertures, a drawing board mounted on saidboard supporting members at the vupper ends thereof, means connected tosaid board supporting members and said casing for urging said boardsupporting members and said drawing board upwardly, a pair of brakemembers each movably mounted in said casing adjacent one of said boardsupporting members for movement from and to engagement therewith, saidbrake members being frictionally engageable with said board supportingmembers when the brake members are spread apa-rt and disengageabletherefrom when moved toward each other, toggle means including a springsupported in said casing between said brake members and resilientlyurging them apart into frictional engagement with the respective boardsupporting members for holding said board supporting members and drawingboard in vertically adjusted positions relative to said casing, andmanually operable means for operating the last said means to move saidbrake members toward each other out of holding engagement with saidboard supporting members. y

l0. A friction brake mechanism for holding in selected verticaladjustment a pair of spaced apart members supporting a drafting boardfor vertical movement on a base, said brake mechanism including a pairof movable friction pieces pivotally mounted on the base and engageablewith the members when said friction pieces are moved apart anddisengageable therefrom when drawn together, and means including asingle cable connection and a single cam actuated through saidconnection for simultaneously drawing the friction pieces together ormoving them apart.

. WILLIAM H. MURPHY. Executor of the Estate of Harold L. DeLisZe, De-

ceased.

